alyson & justin’s amazing black rock resort west coast wedding.
destination weddings are fabulous in many ways – they gather together a couple’s closest family & friends, in a location that means a lot to them & everyone’s there for the weekend or longer, so lots of time to connect, enjoy the views, the local offerings & all the love. It was why alyson & justin chose to get married on the west coast, at the gorgeous black rock oceanfront resort. They both love the energy, raw beauty & waves (for riding) that the west coast offers. And so it was an easy choice for them to choose ucluelet as their place to walk into marriage. Although, it looked like there might be a little hitch to those plans when, just before their wedding day, a truck carrying aviation fuel crashed on the only road into ucluelet & tofino. And it closed the road down. Completely. For over 24 hours. As alyson & justin sat at the black rock, sending out travel updates, they looked back on their early plans to skip the whole wedding-thing & simply elope. Keep it small. And very personal. And, when they were suddenly faced with that now being a possibility, they realized how important it was to them to have their clan of love & support there with them as they promised their lives to one another. And as it turned out, (as it so often does), everything unfolded just fine… some of us spent time stopped along the road (giving me a chance to practice my guitar with no one in earshot – all around a good thing), & then, the road opened up, we all flowed into ukee & the celebration began. And what a celebration it was! So much ease, happiness, warm welcoming hearts, big hugs, laughter & love. Oh, so much love. All wrapped up in the stunning beauty of the west coast, with healthy doses of fabulous food, beautiful decor, great music & some awesome dance moves.
alyson & justin, i’m entirely honoured you invited me along to document your wedding day. And incredibly grateful for your warmth & hospitality. For welcoming me amongst your best people as though i was a part of it all. I truly look forward to seeing where the world takes you both, on your journey as mr & mrs. It will be amazing & filled with heaps of love & laughter, this much we know.
venue + all-vegetarian catering: Black Rock Oceanfront Resort
flowers & decor: Alison Hertz at Compass Wedding Cafe: “Alison made everything possible!!! Can’t praise her enough”, “Inspired by ferns and west coast nature!”
hair: Jess Taylor at Salty Dolls
make-up: Fay at Salty Dolls
officiant: Heidi Shaw
ceremony musician(s): Steve Griffith-Cochrane: “crazy hippy amazing friend!”
dress: Katie May from The White Peony
bride’s sandals: Mystique Sandals
groom’s suit: Indochino
bride’s rings: Sara Sepper at Barclay’s Fine Jewellers
groom’s ring: Ash Hilton
local beverages: Tofino Brew Co and Perseus Wine
dj: John De Vries at Ukee Rocks
